Game board



United States Patent i GAME BOARD Willis Raymond Woolrich, Jr., andRoger La Verne Erickson, Austin, Tex.

Application April 24, 1951, serial No. 222,702

s Claims. (ci. 273-134) This invention relates to games and has for itsprincipal object the provision of a game board so divided or patternedthat a course leads from an entrance to a goal and such course isdivided into paths each of two parallel lanes with spaced deectorsdirecting a playing piece from the inner lane of a path to the innerlane of the path next nearer the goal.

An important object of the invention is to provide a board somewhat ofthe cribbage type in which movement from a slower lane to a faster laneis by chance.

A further object of the invention is to provide a board having an innerhollow square of l1 positions surrounding a goal and this inner squareis associated with an outer hollow square of lanes having positionsabreast of positions in the inner square, except for the one oddposition.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a game boardhaving a goal and a number of surrounding locations, squares, orpositions, preferably holes, in which a player may go out on oneparticular number thrown by dice or otherwise selected by chance butshould the number be greater than the number required to go out, theplayer moves towards the goal in a much longer path.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the game board in its preferred form.

Figure 2 shows a slightly modified form suitable for use with checkersor similar men in place of using the cribbage pegs and holes as in thepreferred form.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3--3 of Figure 1.

In Figure l, the board is illustrated as a block of suitable materialas, for example, wood, paper, plastic, fiber, etc. but preferablyplywood with a top veneer of maple, walnut, mahogany or similarornamental wood, either in contrasting strips such as 11 and 12 markingthe paths, or all of one wood. The board is divided into a number ofpositions 14 which can be merely holes, as in Fig. l, or squares,circles, or other blocks as in Fig. 2. In the following description andin the claims it will be understood that the use of the words hole andposition are interchangeable and either signifies an opening to receivea cribbage peg or a landing place of any kind such as a marked block orsquare to receive a checker or other playing piece. The latter are to beunderstood as embraced in the term peg As the holes or positions are inuniformly spaced ranks and tiles, and the total number of positions oneach of the four outer equal sides of the playing field of the gameboard is always 2x, x being an odd number, each hole, with a singleexception, having a paired hole abreast in the adjacent rank or iilenext inward, the positions for ease in description may be considered asbeing divided in groups of four, denoted by the numeral 15, showing twofours side by side at the top 16 or two fours one above the other at theside 18 of the board. rihere is an uneven number of groups of four oneach side 16, 17 or 18 of the board. As illustrated, there are 1l foursin each of the four outside paths, making 22 holes or positions adjacenteach edge of the tield. In the outside hollow square of holes thepositions are all equispaced so there is no break in the series formingwhat will hereafter be called the four outside lanes of the four outsidepaths.

The arrow 20 denoting the starting point is between the outside lane 21of the outside path 22 and the inside lane 23 of the same, that is theoutside, path. One hole in the next to the last group of four positionsin the vertical left-hand path, counting down from the starting point 202,702,709 Patented Feb. 22, 1955 is omitted and its place is taken by adefiecting marker 25 having a point 26 and a curved portion 27, thelatter directing a player coming vertically down the inside lane 23,from that lane toward the inside lane 28 of the next inner path. Runningfrom the deector 25 at right angles to the initial path 22 is a divisionline 30 which terminates as at 31 just short of the point 32 of the nextsuccessive deflector which point 32 is similar to the point 26 ofdeiiector 25. Defining and bordering each successively inward path oftwo parallel lanes are similar division lines and each deflector turnsthe direction of movement or travel of the playing pieces at rightangles, the player aclvancing from the inside lane of any path to theinside lane of the next inner path when traveling in an inner path, butnot otherwise; i. e., if the player is traveling in an outer path, hewill go to the right of any deector and will thereupon keep in the outerlane of the same path and the outer lane of the next path. For example:a player moving from hole 33 (near the lower right hand corner of theboard) in accordance with any number selected by chance when using dicewould continue to travel in the line of holes adjacent the edge 18 ofthe board. It will be noted that each group of four proximate detiectorsare alined parallel to the nearby diagonal (not shown) of the squareboard and that the amounts of such offsetting are equal and areclockwise of the diagonal so that the groups of four deectors onopposite sides of the center of the playing field are not in alignment.

The goal is preferably in the center of the board and is surrounded onthree sides by a barrier 37 (Fig. 1) or 38 (Fig. 2) leaving an opening40 directed toward a hole or position 41 respectively which is calledthe junction. The junction 41 is one of the positions in the inside lane42 of the inside path 43 and it differs from ali of the other positionsin the board in that it is located opposite the goal 36 or 36a and isspaced farther from its neighbors 73 and 74 than the normal spacing. Theinside square on this one side therefore contains only three holes orpositions while each of the other sides of the inside lane 43 (nearestthe goal) contains four positions formed by the inside lanes of theinside paths. A barrier 45 is positioned between the junction 41 and theproximate holes 46 and 47 of the outside lane of the inner square. Thisoutside lane of the inside path consists of six positions on a side.

Further understanding can best be obtained from a description of themethod of play. The players use any chance device such as a spinner, aset of cards having different numbers one of which is drawn, butpreferably the game is played with dice, usually one die of one colorand the other die being of another color, this obviously, however, beingoptional. The players each having a peg of diiferent color start o ofthe board. The players throw the dice in any order and the player havingthe highest number moves the number of positions indicated by the dice,the first hole counting as one. He may elect the tirst hole 50 of theinner lane, as would be most natural, or he may pick the correspondinginitial hole 51 of the outer and longer lane. Assuming that he threw twoves, or a six and a four, he would move to the hole 52. The secondplayer having no option of path, because the rst player has alreadychosen, moves from hole 51 counting this hole as one; for example, hadhe thrown seven, he would move to the hole 53.

Beginning with the second go the players move straight ahead in theirown lane only if the number thrown on the two dice together, or on thedie of color matching his peg, if that is chosen to be the rule, iseven. If the total thrown, assuming for a moment both dice are of thesame color or that no other arrangement has been made, is odd; theplayer whose peg is now at 52 first moves to the opposite lane and thenstarts to count.

Under the circumstances just stated this player throwing a seven wouldmove his peg from hole 52 to hole 55 abreast, counting this as one, andwould stop at hole 56. Assuming that the second player, whose peg was at53, should throw a nine on his second go, he would of course have firstof all to change lanes because nine is an odd number; he would move hispeg to hole 58 abreast of hole 53 and would then count nine down incontinue in the inner lane and would land at position 60 had he thrownan eight. If a player whose peg were at hole 59 should throw an oddnumber, he would start counting from hole 61 abreast of 59 and if theodd number thrown were equal or greater than five, he would be forced tocontinue in the lane nearest the outside of the board as he turns thecorner.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a player moves from any of thefour outer paths such as 22 to the inner lane of the adjacent inner pathnear any corner provided that his peg is moving on the inside lane ofsuch outer path as hemoves past the point 26 and curve 27 of the nextdeiiector 25.

Referring particularly to Fig. 2, and remembering that the onlydifference between the center of the board, as illustrated in thisiigure, and in the preferred form is that printed blocks or squares 14replace the holes and the numeral 36a is used in place of 36. Aspreviously noted, the outer lane of the inside path 43 is composed ofsix positions on a side all equally spaced and that adjacent the barrier45 there is a single position called the junction and numbered 41. Theremaining positions in the inner lane 42 of the inside path next to thegoal are numbered in order 65 to 73, and 74 beyond junction 41. The lineor course of play must not cross the barriers 37 or 38 and 45. The playis always counter-clockwise. A player has his peg, man or playing pieceat position 72, for example. If this player should throw a four he wouldWin, because he always counts the position that he is in as one andthere are exactly four moves to goal 36 or 36a. Should he be oneposition either ahead or behind 72, he could not possibly enter the goalbecause there are an odd number of spaces to go but if he threw an oddnumber he would first have to move to the abreast position in the outerlane and then move from there. As an example, if the peg were inposition 71 and an odd number were thrown, the player would move his pegfirst to position 77 counting this as one and then moving in the outerlane in holes or positions in the outer lane, landing at hole 47 with athrow of seven. A player beginning at position 70 could win by throwinga six but if he threw an eight he would pass 70, 71, 72, 73, 41, 74, 65and land at 66 which would leave him still in the inside lane and givehim the opportunity of going out by throwing a ten on his next turn.

It might be noted that a player starting on squares 73, 71, 69, 67 or 65could not go out with any throw because the number required to enter thegoal would be an odd number and whenever a player in an inner lanethrows an odd number (except from 41), he would necessarily move to theouter lane and he could get to the inner lane only by throwing an oddnumber the next time.

Other rules of play have nothing to do with the structure or design ofthe board and are therefore omitted, for example, the penalty when theappropriate hole is already occupied, the method of play starting at thetwo holes 82 and 83 in the outside lane just beyond the deilector, etc.

What I claim is:

l. A game board for playing with pegs movable in accordance with achance device such as dice, a spinner, cards, etc., comprising a playingield bounded by a hollow square of holes, each side of the square havingan odd number of pairs of holes, each side of the hollow square formingthe outer lane of an outer path, so that a playing piece may proceedcontinuously in said outer lane, a. second and smaller hollow squareinside of said outer lane and comprising, with later named exceptions, aseries of holes each abreast of a hole in the outer lane, the holes ofthe second hollow square forming the inside lane of said outer path, adeector replacing the third hole from the last in each of the fourinside lanes of the outer path, each deflector directing a playing pieceproceeding along the line of holes of the inside lane inwardly at rightangles to the inside lane, a centrally located goal, and successivesimilar hollow squares and detiectors between said outer path and thegoal, each successive inner hollow square lane starting with a holeproximate to and short of the deiiector in such inner lane and endingproximate to and short of the next successive deliector, and each outerlane of a path passing outside of the deectors in the inner lane of suchpath so that a playing piece in any outer lane may continually proceedin the same hollow square of four outer anes.

2. A board of the Cribbage type having equispaced parallel rows ofholes, and tiles of holes at right angles thereto, each row and fileconsisting of twice an odd number of holes with exceptions hereinafternoted, thereby forming a square playing eld, division lines parallel toeach of the four outer rows of holes consecutively shorter toward thecenter and dividing the board into paths of two lanes each, a goalhaving an opening and replacing the central group of four holes, ajunction hole replacing two holes adjacent the opening of the goal, anddeflectors replacing a hole adjacent the beginning of each divisionline.

3. A board having a playing eld formed by a hollow square of holesformed by four rows at right angles to each other, a parallel row ofholes inside each of the outer rows with a hole opposite each hole ofthe outer row, except for the third hole from the last, a deliectorwhere each omitted hole would be, division lines extending parallel toeach of the four outer rows of holes and successively shorter toward thecenter of the playing lield, dividing the playing field into paths oftwo lanes each to a point short of the forward deector and beginningwith the deflector in the adjacent inner path, and two holes in thecenter of the playing field, one being a junction and the other being agoal.

4. A board having a central goal, an inner square of eleven positionssurrounding the goal, there being four positions on each of the threesides of said square and three positions on the fourth side of saidsquare, an outer hollow square of twenty positions outside of the innersquare and arranged six positions on a side, forming with the innersquare a continuous path of two parallel lanes, and a barrier betweenthe central position on the fourth side and the proximate positions inthe outer square.

5. A board having an outer square of four lanes, each of an odd numberof pairs of equispaced positions, four inner lanes parallel thereto eachwith a position abreast a position on the parallel outer lane, theposition located at the third position from the end of each of the fourinner lanes being a deector directing the player inwardly of the pathformed by the two parallel lanes, a division line parallel to said pathat the inner side thereof and extending forward from a rear deector to apoint one position short of the forward deliector, similar paths, eachfour paths forming a hollow square within the outer paths and divisionlines, each diagonally positioned group of proximate deflectors beingalined closely adjacent the diagonals of the playing eld formed byconnecting opposite corners of the iirst mentioned outer square, and agoal in the center of the ield surrounded by a barrier closing the goalon three sides.

6. A game board having a series of concentric paths each comprising twoparallel lanes, a goal in the center of the board, and deectors'in theinner lanes only, d iresting the playing pieces from the inner lane ofone path to the inner lane of the proximate path, whereby a playingpiece in an outer lane may pass all of the deectors in said path andproceed continuously in the outer lane, this lane being more distantfrom the goal than the inner lane.

7. The board of claim 6 in which the playing iield is square and thedeectors are alined in four groups symmetrical with respect to thecenter of the square playing field, the defleetors of each group beingequally oifset in a clockwise direction from a diagonal of the square,that is, a line from the center of the square iield to one` of the fourcorners thereof.

S. The board of claim 6 in which each deector has four sides, one beingbetween the inner and outer lanes of the path in which the deiector islocated, a second side being curved and meeting the rst side in a cuspand meeting a third side at a point between the inner and outer lanes ofthe next inward path, and the fourth side being perpendicular to thefirst side and lying between the outer path and the next inward path.

(References on following page) 5 References Cited in the le of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Smith Oct. 9, 1945 Storey June 13, 1950Barker Ian. 18, 1916 Llera Dec. 2, 1924 Holmbcr Mar. 5, 1940 BuifmireFeb. 4, 1947 6 FOREIGN PATENTS France Jan. 22, 1907 Austria May 25, 1910Great Britain Aug. 4, 1936 France Dec. 12, 1940

